EMMITSBURG, Md. (March 5, 2020) - Thursday night's battle between Mount St. Mary's and Fairleigh Dickinson came down to the performances of two players. Mount redshirt junior Kendall Bresee came within two points of her career high with 23 points, but the Knights' Lauren Francillon registered a career-high 33 points and a double-double with 10 rebounds. Fairleigh Dickinson held off three long distance tries by the Mount to win the regular season finale, 66-63, at Knott Arena. 

Both sides finished off the campaign with program defining seasons. Despite the defeats at the end, Mount (19-11, 14-4 NEC) still registered the most victories in a Northeat Conference season since the 1999-2000 season, when they also went 14-4. FDU (12-17, 9-9 NEC) finished the conference season with a .500 record for the first time since 2008-09. 

The Mountaineers had already clinched the No. 2 seed in the NEC Tournament before the game, and as a result of Thursday's games, will host No. 7 Long Island in the quarterfinals Monday (March 9). As for the Knights, the victory secures the No. 3 seed in the tournament. That's their highest seed since the 1993 NEC Tournament, when they shared the title with the Mount. FDU draws No. 6 Bryant on Monday in their first home tournament contest since 1997. 

Bresee went 8-for-17 from the floor while hitting a career-high six triples. The Urbana product added four rebounds, three assists and three steals. She received help from Michaela Harrison and her 11 points, five rebounds and five assists, as well as 10 points, three steals and three assists from Jatarrikah Settle. 

Francillon drained 14 of her 19 shots, including a 5-for-7 performance from three. The 33 points edge her previous career high of 31 versus Central Connecticut in 2019. Along with her 10 boards, she rejected a season-best four blocks. The senior is also a product of the Old Line State, playing her interscholastic ball at Southern Garrett High School. The Knights also got 14 points and seven rebounds from Rachael Niles. 

Mount had one of the best performances in terms of forcing turnovers as Fairleigh Dickinson conceded 23 giveaways. The Knights made up for it with a 50 percent effort from the floor and a plus 21 rebounding margin.

The game was tightly contested, featuring 12 lead changes and six ties. Neither team had a lead in double digits. Francillon began her night early, scoring the first four points. Bresee hit a three to spark an 8-0 run, capped off by a Bridget Birkhead trey. The lead switched back and forth three more times in the first frame, and it was the Knights on top at the end with a Celia Carbonell layup at the horn. 

FDU built the lead as high as five in the second quarter, but Mount rallied with a 8-2 run punctuated by a triple from Delaney Connors. The Mountaineers rode the momentum to stay one step ahead of the competition, taking a 26-23 advantage into halftime. 

Mount looked to take control in the third quarter, bursting out of the gate in a 9-3 stretch. Harrison buried home a trey with 5:34 on the clock, forcing the Knights to call time. The nine point lead would be Mount's biggest as FDU climbed back into the contest from there. Francillon - who had 11 points at half - took over the Knights' offense, knocking down and a pair of triples and a layup for a personal 8-0 run and a 36-35 FDU lead. Bresee chipped in six points for the quarter, including a buzzer beating jump to keep the game within one point entering the fourth quarter. 

The lead would immediately change hands again with Mount surging ahead on two Settle free throws. They would push the lead up to six thanks to a Bresee three with 8:32 remaining. Francillon answered back with a three of her own, and another downtown shot from Maria Roters deadlocked the score again. The game would stay within a possession until two in the paint from Niles drove FDU's lead back up to five.

The Knights tried their best to pull away, but could only muster their largest lead at six points with 2:40 left. A minute later, Harrison drained another triple to put the game back within one possession. Francillon made her final layup on offense, but Bresee delivered a clutch to come within two. Another layup for the Knights kept the Mountaineers on their toes, but Bresee came through again to make it 64-63 FDU with 28 seconds left. After FDU converted two foul shots, Mount looked to tie with a three. Bresee's first shot rattled off, was given a second chance, but that shot fell off the mark as well. Harrison got the board and found Kayla Agentowicz in the corner, but that final attempt fell short and FDU walked out victorious. 

Mount's contest with Long Island will tip-off at 7 p.m. Monday at Knott Arena.